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I had reached a point after decades of struggling with this sin where I had just resigned myself to this being part of who I am. I honestly figured I would just struggle with this sin for the rest of my life - I would take it to my grave.
For me, freedom came through Christopher West's teaching on Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body. The MP3 version ...

When you fight against sin you rely on your own strength. When we rely on our own strength we turn away from Christ. Instead we should focus on turning towards Christ. Basically when you fight sin you focus on the sin instead of Christ. This explains why the more you fight it, the stronger it gets.
Instead focus on what you want. Man cannot serve two ...

First off... I think this is an excellent question, here's my try at an answer...
Romans 14:3, I believe, balances out both sides.
The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.
I know a person who thinks celebrating holidays ...

I think Paul said it best, "Flee from sexual immorality." (1 Corinthians 6:18) I understand this, and Jesus' comments about cutting off hands (Matthew 5:30, 18:8, etc.), to mean, "Take whatever steps you need to get away from temptation!"
In other words, you won't make it on will power. You need to get away from temptation. Wth respect to pornography, that ...

You are correct that for nearly everything you do, short of breathing and eating (and sometimes including eating) you can probably find some believer somewhere to object to it on some grounds.
However, when Paul says "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak", he is not saying to never exercise your ...

Charles Stanley said in his book Success God’s Way:
In good times and bad times, on mediocre days and exhilarating days,
in periods of joy and periods of heavy toil, our stance before the
Lord must be, 'Heavenly Father, you’re in charge. I have no success
other than what You help me achieve. I trust You to order my steps.'
I believe that this is ...

It's important to maintain an eternal perspective. Enjoy your career, sure, but keep in mind that your career is over once you're dead, but eternity lasts forever. As long as you keep your priorities straight and you're willing to give up your career if God's plan calls for you to do something different, you'll probably be all right.
Remember to keep Luke ...

If cutting off a body part will stop your sinning, then you should do it.
But will that really work? No! The sin is not the fact that you have a hand, which allows you to masturbate. The sin is that you are lusting after women.
"In my opinion it's very likely that masturbation is a sin that leads to death."
Before you start making judgements on ...

I take "station" to mean more of one's social status. As far as that goes, I give you:
1 Corinthians 7:21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it:
but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
So, there's no obligation to stay in your station if you can be made free from it.
Similarly, I would say there's no obligation to stay with any ...

Proverbs is full of verses about how to become wealthy, such as
Proverbs 10:4 (NIV)
4 Lazy hands make for poverty,
but diligent hands bring wealth.
But I think the focus is NOT on worldly ambitions, but on your character in how you achieve that wealth.
What God doesn't want is for that to drive your focus. If you are too focused on your ...

I've always read this passage as not causing brother to stumble rather than offence though this seems to be a fairly fine line.
For example a small group leader might not want to drink alcohol in public as it may cause a brother in his group to think that "since my leader can drink then so can I" and use this as justification to get drunk off his skull. Or ...

There are good answers already listed here, but I wanted to add a comment.
The putting off of the old self is only half the equation... or maybe even less than half. We are not transformed by determination or self effort, but by the renewing of our minds. Abiding in Christ--in His presence--is the key, I believe.
Luke 6:45 says, "The good man brings good ...

Any time you hear anything along the lines of "I'm trying to be a Christian", a giant red flag should immediately go up in your mind. Whoever said that is either playing fast and loose with words or they have completely missed the point.
Being a Christian is a binary state (our position as either lost or saved in the eyes of God) that is not determined by ...

First, I think I should point out that priests have no say in who gets a secular divorce. (Depending on circumstances, it might actually even be the right thing to do.) A tribunal, on the other hand, does have the authority to grant an annulment.
My experience is that the no-fault annulment is possible, but very difficult. It becomes incumbent upon the ...

First, remember that God is the one who created our bodies the way they are. The desires of the flesh are there for a reason. Without hunger we could easily starve to death, for example. And if you were to really analyze it dispassionately, the act of sexual intercourse is kinda slimy and gross. Without the sex drive in place being both strong (to attract ...

The Bible is clear about a lot of sin areas and about how Christians should act around each other (Ephesians 5) that I don't feel the need to think, "how will some random person interpret my actions?" Who can live with that level of forethought and the resulting guilt thereof? Not me. People who suggest this is at all possible haven't thought through the ...

In the Eastern Tradition, we are told the following:
Lust starts with thoughts
These thoughts should not in any case even be entertained, they must be ignored
If they are entertained, one must do things to counteract the effects of them
Primary in this process is confession (which should be to God in the presence of a confessor) and praying for the grace ...

There are some other great answers but I want to throw in Philippians 2:3 (NIV).
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in
humility value others above yourselves,
I think this distinction of selfish ambition and of vanity are important ones. Other translations phrase it:
strife or vainglory
conceit and empty arrogance
rivalry ...

This answer is probably close to the Lutheran teaching.
Accept that there's no way to succeed.
The thing is, while we are already saved, we still fall. We are 100% holy because God has granted us righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, yet at the same time we're 100% sinners. (Romans 7:15-25)
Accept that you will not win sin. Christ already has done ...

Surround myself with good people.
Do good things.
Prayer -- lots of prayer.
Basically, make sure you are always worth of the companionship of the Holy Spirit and he will do a pretty good job of helping you resist (and I would even say avoid) temptation.

I chose what I think. I stay away from places where I get tempted easily. Whenever a lustful desire comes up from my nature (my flesh), I deny it and I resist it and pray to God that He will help me not to give in to the temptation:
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted ...

Solomon wrote about this in Ecclesiastes:
Ecclesiastes 9:5 through 11
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is ...

Luke 13:22-28 (NIV)
Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to
Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to
be saved?”
He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow
door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able
to.
Once the owner of the ...

While I believe that it is through faith alone we are saved, the only caveat I would like to put forward is the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25.
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from ...

There is a difference between marriage in secular sense and in a religious sense.
The state will allow re-marriage regardless of a persons religion as long as they have followed the state rules regarding divorce and re-marriage. Your priest will have no say in these matters.
Catholics believe that a marriage cannot be dissolved unless there was some issue ...

Mary,
One of the biggest helps I have had in this area comes from a book by John Piper called God is the Gospel. In one of the chapters, I believe its Chapter 5 Delighting in God Delighting in Us, he discusses the idea that our pleasures don't compete with God but should draw us to God. If a spouse gives you a wonderful & thoughtful gift, the gift is ...

I believe it is important to emphasize the importance of identifying an idol in this case. Idols are not something that exist of their own accord, but are something created by man which they worship or place as higher importance than God. This is why Paul can say, "We know that 'An idol is nothing at all in the world' and that 'There is no God but one.'" 1 ...

I am stuggling with this too.
This feeling is natural. God created you with this drive. Here the Theology of the Body helped me too.
Learn to accept this feeling, channel it towards productive things.
You do not have to act on those thoughts (2. Cor 10:5). They are just there. You think you have to, but God gives you a spirit of power (2. Tim 1:7)
Just try ...

It has to do with understanding strongholds.....
2 Corinthians 10:4, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds."
John 8:34 ESV, Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
For the first time ever in human history we have easy ...

A lot of the time we get so focused on the negative that we end up reinforcing it. Instead we should look to Christ and focus on the positive around us.
I like Paul's council in Philippians 4:8 where he teaches us to dwell on the virtuous things in life.
Memorize scripture
Memorize hymns
Be busy serving others
Be busy learning
Really pray, commune, and ...